2008 was a pretty good knitting year for me. My output was not as ambitious as some years, but most of my projects were successful and I enjoyed knitting them and wearing the finished results.
The obvious winner of the year was Granite. It looks great, it holds up well, and I just love wearing it. The fact that I also get compliments every time I wear it does not hurt either.
It is probably about to be retired until the weather warms up again, as it is not really a winter sweater. But then, winter that is too cool for Granite is just perfect for Dreaming of Spring, my second favorite sweater from last year.
I am using all the scarves I knitted as well and am quite fond of them as well as the fingerless mitts and the boot liners, which are crying out for a second pair as they are in quite heavy rotation.
There is only one real miss in the 2008 output. Compare and contrast looked nice in theory but I didn't like wearing them together on me. They did look good on Matilda, the dressmaker's dummy, but she doesn't really get a say. In retrospect I should have put some shaping in at the bust on the vest, as it gaped open every time I wore it even though there was enough room all around. I wore the under-sweater several times over a tank or a turtleneck, but it seemed to catch on everything and snagged very easily. Once at the mall I caught a sleeve on something and made a long rip up one arm and at that point I just gave up on it.
Two other sweaters are almost successful:
Rage Management is beautiful and warm and snuggly but I have lost weight since I made it and it is truly a little big. The neckline no longer stays in place (it did when I knit it) and it borders on sloppy more than comfy and cool. I haven't yet decided if I will reuse the yarn and knit it again, but The yarn is rather fuzzy and I am not sure if it will hold up to reknitting. This may be given away.
Lilac Serenade is also turning out to be a bit of a disappointment. The problem is not with the sweater pattern or its shaping. I love this pattern and will make it again and again.
Here the problem is due to my own pig-headed choice. The yarn pills badly and there are always long yarn worms appearing on my sweater as I am wearing it. Now I did check ravelry and this was noted by many users of this yarn, but I just ignored their advice. I bought this yarn because I just fell in love with the color.
That said the sweater has been versatile and I have worn it a great deal. It too is getting a little loose and baggy looking. This yarn will not be salvaged however, and it still looks good enough to see me through a couple of months, at which point I will simply say good riddance and toss it. I will be making this pattern again, in several different yarns as it is just the perfect versatile cardigan for me.
That's it for 2008. Not a bad year at all. Hopefully 2009 will be even more productive.
Comments
8 responses to “2008 Hits and Misses”
What a good idea to really take a hard look at the success or lack thereof of various finished garments. I think your analysis probably lets you avoid similar errors in the future. I should try this, or perhaps just thinking harder in general? 🙂
What a good idea to really take a hard look at the success or lack thereof of various finished garments. I think your analysis probably lets you avoid similar errors in the future. I should try this, or perhaps just thinking harder in general? 🙂
Forget the knits — is that your library? I’m smitten! I can’t wait to see you Thursday!
Forget the knits — is that your library? I’m smitten! I can’t wait to see you Thursday!
Very nice post. I learned a few things myself.
Very nice post. I learned a few things myself.
Love the sweater you’re wearing in the photo. Just saw it the other day somewhere on the net. You did a great job!
Love the sweater you’re wearing in the photo. Just saw it the other day somewhere on the net. You did a great job!